ASTHA, in this year, has initiated intensive community based ECCD interventions. There have been a range of strategies that the organization has followed at various levels. The CBR Early Childhood intervention workers identify children with delays and/or disabilities while building trust and understanding the abilities and needs of the child through detailed discussion with family members. A major thrust area is partnership and linking of families with each other through camps, with groups of mothers and other parents coming together.

The ECCD at ASTHA is supporting children’s development and parenting skills in the early years which further provides opportunities for better preparing children to succeed in school as well as positively influence parents’ attitudes about the value of formal education and acceptance of the child.

In its work with young children ASTHA is consciously moving away from addressing only the impairment-based aspects of children and instead creating a broad-based curriculum that will help the child develop all their abilities at the right age. It is attempting to work towards more transdisciplinary assessments and holistic program planning for children in all aspects of their development. An emphasis on creative activities and inclusive activities involving all children enables the programs to work towards inclusion with fun.